Finding a Better Way

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Powering Our Purpose

When our customers have the right tools, they can turn their dreams into reality. This is what keeps us up at night—staying ahead in the marketplace and fighting to deliver unconventional, creative solutions that give our customers a competitive edge. Our four business divisions lead in the distribution of refined and renewable energy products, lubricants, and aftermarket tires and parts.

Sustainable Energy Solutions™

CONNECT TO SOMETHING BIGGER

If you have a strong purpose in life, you don’t have to be pushed. Your passion will drive you there. Purpose is the guiding light in a strong workplace culture, and the appetite our team members have to pursue their passions is driven by U.S. Venture’s four differentiating values—caring relationships, entrepreneurial spirit, high performance and strategic foresight. We believe in people over process, and we take pride in taking care of our team members.

CARING RELATIONSHIPS

Human beings naturally crave friendship and positive interactions, and according to Gallup, people who have a good friend in the workplace are more likely to be happier and more productive. Our differentiating value of caring relationships pushes team members to foster fun and friendship and show compassion in all aspects of the job—with one another, our customers, our vendors and our community partners.

ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT

At U.S. Venture, you have the room to challenge convention and push the boundaries. This is summed up best in our differentiating value of entrepreneurial spirit. Team members are encouraged to think like business owners, embrace innovation, and believe they can make things better.

HIGH PERFORMANCE

Success is never final. Our differentiating value of high performance drives our search for team members who are eager to grow professionally, and we’re focused on aligning company leaders to strategic business innovation and results. We know we can’t depend on the traditional educational system, which is why we created our own career-advancing material to in a development program called, “Your GPS to Success.”

STRATEGIC FORESIGHT

Vision is everything. At U.S. Venture, our differentiating value of strategic foresight reminds us to broaden our perspectives, visualize the future, and create a roadmap to win. We hire futuristic leaders who are brave enough to ask “why” and “when” just as much as they’re willing to ask “what” and “how.” When it comes to staying ahead in an ever-changing industry, we embrace untraditional thinking, diverse worldviews and relentless curiosity.

LIFTING UP OUR COMMUNITIES

U.S. Venture has a long history of influencing social change, starting with the company’s founders—Art, Ray and Bill Schmidt—and their parents, Albert and Margaret. We believe that by giving people the tools to lead healthy, productive lives, we can help them lift themselves out of poverty. Last year, U.S. Venture’s philanthropic impact totaled $9.30 million. The U.S. Venture Open, the nation’s single largest one-day charity event raised $4.13 million to end poverty in Northeast Wisconsin.

GIVING BACK TO VETERANS

GIVING BACK TO VETERANS

AMY CROZIER

U.S. AutoForce, Credit Risk Assistant, Appleton, WI

“All the way home, he told me, ‘This has been the best day of my life,’” Amy recalls.

That day was four years ago when a team member offered tickets to Amy and her dad, Andy, to attend Warbird Alley at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Andy had served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War as a deep sea diver in a mine hunting unit. He didn’t always open up about his service to our country, but that day he met other veterans, swapped stories and smiles, and found common ground again. Then, five months after the event, Andy passed away.

Witnessing the joy her father experienced that day inspired Amy to stay involved as a volunteer with EAA AirVenture. She now honors his legacy by escorting veterans and honoring our nation’s heroes every summer.

Amy logs her volunteer hours and has used the matched dollar program, in which U.S. Venture matches dollar-for- dollar up to $1,000.

“It brought joy to him to be there, and after he passed on, I just had to continue to be a part of that event,” she says. “U.S. Venture is willing to share in your passion by giving to it. It makes me want to give and do more for the company and community. It makes me proud to work for this company.”

EMPOWERING WOMEN

EMPOWERING WOMEN

KENNETH WRIGHT, DAMAR MADISON-CLAY & MARCUS BURGESS

Drivers, U.S. AutoForce, Bridgeton, MO

Kenneth, DaMar and Marcus are truck drivers with U.S. AutoForce, but several times a month, they choose to spend time sitting behind the wheel of the MOXI Traveling Boutique – a mobile fashion truck that brings suits to women who have limited or no access to transportation in the St. Louis and Kansas City Metro area.

They believe that while they’re delivering outfits for women to wear for a job interview, what they’re really delivering are smiles and confidence. The truck is a part of the Dress for Success program within Connections to Success, a nonprofit working to end the cycle of poverty in Missouri and Kansas.

“It makes me feel great to see the smiles on peoples’ faces when they realize how good they look in their new outfits,” says Marcus.

“U.S. Venture supports us in helping to get the job done,” DaMar adds. All three use volunteer paid time off and log their volunteer hours.

“Driving for this company means a lot to me because it’s allowing me to give back and help others,” says Kenneth. “It’s important to show my kids that it’s important to help those who might not be ability to help themselves.”

PROVIDING NON-PROFITS WITH FINANCIAL GUIDANCE

JUDY ENGEN-PAZDERA

U.S. Venture, Treasury Manager, Appleton, WI

Judy is no stranger to non-profits; her late husband, Brad, was one of the founders of the Volunteer Center of East Central WI. But between her job as a divisional controller with U.S. Oil and raising their children, it was hard to find extra time to spare. That is, until a few years ago when her youngest daughter flew the coop for college.

Having participated in other community engagement offerings, such as volunteer paid time off (VPTO) and matching dollars program, she decided to join the board of directors at the Volunteer Center of East Central WI. Then a fellow team member approached her about filling a seat on the board at Rebuilding Together Fox Valley.

Today, Judy serves as treasurer on both boards, as well as a few committees. She is proud to provide her financial knowledge and skills with the organizations.

“Non-profits are very diverse,” she says. “You can help as little or as much as you want; they accept any amount of time you can devote to their cause. There’s a wide range of concentrations and focuses, and boards and committees, so you can certainly find something right for you.”

PERSONAL SHOPPER

Earlier this year, Sherry suited 22 students from an inner city school in St. Louis. Dresses, suits, ties, accessories – so they could feel proud attending a special banquet at school.

“I’ll never forget the look on one young girl’s face when she came out wearing a dress I found her,” Sherry says. “She needed to be told she was beautiful!”

She volunteers as a personal shopper for Dress for Success in St. Louis, which is a program part of the non-profit Connections to Success working to end the cycle of poverty in Missouri and Kansas. Whether or not she’s dressing a teen for a banquet or an adult for an interview, she gets to spend time with people looking to find purpose. She also helps prepare adults for job interviews and is looking to get involved as a mentor.

Sherry logs her volunteer hours and uses her volunteer paid time off. She’s even recruited fellow team members to get involved with Dress for Success.

“It’s empowering to know we can be a light in someone else’s journey,” she adds. “My advice to other team members is to get out there and find something you’re passionate about. U.S. Venture supports your endeavor.”

Appleton, Wis. – January 29, 2019 – Alison Schmidt, national sales director for U.S. Oil, a division of U.S. Venture, Inc., has joined the board of directors for the Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America (SIGMA), an organization working...

Titletown Winter Games set for February 16-17

Presented by U.S. Venture, Inc., the event will offer luge, curling, biathlon, cross-country skiing Titletown will transform into a winter sports wonderland on Feb. 16 and 17 when it hosts the Titletown Winter Games presented by U.S. Venture. The free...

U.S. Venture, Inc. earns WELCOA’s Platinum Workplace Wellness Award

Company celebrated as one of the state’s most innovative in workplace health promotion Appleton, Wis. (November 16, 2018) – U.S. Venture has been awarded the Platinum Well Workplace Award by the Wellness Council of America (WELCOA) – one of the...

U.S. Venture’s development agreement with city of Appleton amended

Plans move forward to build company's headquarters on the bluff site Appleton, Wis. (August 15, 2018) – An amended development agreement between the city of Appleton andU.S. Venture Inc. was approved by Appleton’s Common Council Wednesday night. Changes to the development...

U.S. Venture, Inc. Hires Gary Cao as Vice President of Insight and Analytics

Appleton, Wis. – June 22, 2018 – U.S. Venture, Inc., is pleased to announce Gary Cao will join the company as the vice president of Insight and Analytics. In his new position, Cao will lead the charge in predicting potential economic...

U.S. AutoForce Acquires Tire’s Warehouse

Companies combine forces to make for the most capable tire distributor in the country Appleton, Wis. (June 4, 2018) – U.S. AutoForce (USAF), a division of U.S. Venture, Inc., acquired Corona, California company Tire’s Warehouse (TWI) on June 1, 2018. The organizations...

U.S. Lubricants Hires Jessica Sura as Director of Finance

Appleton, Wis. – May 17, 2018 – U.S. Lubricants, a division of U.S. Venture, Inc., is pleased to announce the hiring of Jessica Sura as director of finance. For the last three years, Sura held the position of senior accounting manager for...

U.S. VENTURE OPEN

GRIT & GLORY

U.S. Venture is a major sponsor of the USA Luge team, and we’re darn proud of it. Racing down an icy luge track at 80 mph not only takes guts, but years of measured training and an unshakable spirit. U.S. Venture team members get special access to these Olympians several times a year and draw inspiration from their high performance—one of U.S. Venture’s differentiating values.